Pages

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Well, it finally happened. And I've been nervous to do a post on it, because I don't want to jinx it. But I had my first day yesterday, and I'm on the payroll, so I'm pretty sure it is official... I HAVE A JOB. And it happened when I was least prepared for it.

I also found fellow
WordNerd Emma!

I was on vacation in Utah, visiting my Alma Mater and seeing a former roommate get married (because it wouldn't be Utah without a wedding!) and visiting all of the amazing friends we left behind when we moved to California. While I was at the wedding reception, I was talking with the leader of the church congregation that I attended for most of my college years, telling him about how difficult it has been coming to CA and not being able to find a job and basically feeling a little bum-like (even though it's been great for my writing). He then told me that he knew a guy who did some things I might be interested in, and could call and see if he was looking to hire anyone, and would I be interested in that?

So I looked up and pretended to be thinking about it, trying to appear like I was keeping my cool when really I just wanted to scream YES immediately. "Yeah, that would be great if you could look into that," I said. Because I'm cool. I'm cool. I'm not going to ASFDKHSDGIU over a job that's not already offered to me, because I've seen how that goes in the long run. (HINT: It sucks.)

But the next day, I was on the phone with the creator of the group. That day, he offered me the job. And guys, it is perfect for me. It's basically a dream job.

I'm going to be working with Kids Learning Video, a successful YouTube channel that creates educational videos for kids around 2-8 years old. I'll be doing video editing primarily, but I'll also be helping a little in coming up with new ideas, and I'll be doing the translation and audio work for their new series of French videos.

AHHHHHHHH.

I am in love. And I don't even know what else I can say about it, except that this was so worth the wait.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Some days I feel a little like I'm the person in this image. I've been struggling with depression ever since I moved to California, to a place in which I literally knew nobody, with a major that had little chance of getting me a job (and it didn't), and a husband who is awesome and somehow manages to excel at everything he does.

For some writers, writing pushes them through dark moments in depression, but for me, that isn't the case. I might not write a single word for weeks when things are particularly bad. I will open up Scrivener countless times, but end up rolling over and hating myself for not being productive. Sometimes I catch myself wondering if writing is something I even like. Because obviously, if you don't like something when you're depressed, then you must not truly love it. It's the oh-so-logical conclusion.

I'm at a point right now where I can see light. Maybe only half the days are hard. On those good days, I write. I think it's some of the best stuff I've ever written, and I think it will continue to improve, even if I don't write on the bad days.

If you've got a loved one struggling with depression and you just don't understand it, then I highly recommend this BuzzFeed article that uses comics to accurately depict depression. It's a fun way of showing part of a very real struggle.

And if you're a writer struggling with finding your writing niche while depressed, here's some amazing posts on writing with depression: